20+ THINGS I WISH TO TELL 20-YEAR-OLD YOUNGER SELF

Here I am on my early thirties. I wish I can tell 20-year-old of myself. I don’t want to change the past, though. It becomes who I am. I’m not here today if I didn’t go through all that and appreciate more what I have now.

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1. BE HEALTHY

Be healthy by exercise regularly. You have tons of free time and easy access to a free gym. Use it wisely. It’s the best source of stress relieving and will be good for your mind and physical health. Make a habit to work out every day, after work or in between classes. It’s the best thing you can do for your mind and your body.

2. USE YOUR TIME WISELY

You are single now, you have a lot of free time in your hand – use wisely. I know you just want to relax after work and watching a movie marathon on Netflix. I know you go shopping when you are stress at work to relieve your stress. Don’t do that. There is other better way to do such as number one above. Your closet will be thankful to you. Or I know you just don’t want to be alone yourself on the weekend so you went hang out with friends to fill time. There is a better way to fill your time: invest in yourself, read books, pursue Ph.D., make extra income, learn about the stock, take new lessons/courses, etc.

3. PURSUE Ph.D.

Remember, that you keep thinking to apply the Ph.D. or another Master degree you are really really interested in. Apply for it. Don’t wait until you decide. You will never know until you try it. Stop thinking, more doing. Don’t think too much, otherwise, you will regret it for not knowing what if you are taking the Ph.D. program.

4. MAKE AN EXTRA INCOME, OR TWO

When you just started a job, you don’t have that much money. You have lots of free time instead. Use your free time to research how to make an extra income and trial and error. Make a system to generate an extra income. You will be so thankful in the future when you get laid off and want to quit your full-time job.

5. BUY PROFITABLE STOCKS

Start early buying stocks. Put your extra money toward stocks after that 60+hours working time a week. Build your stocks portfolio. Recession time means the stock is at the cheapest state.

6. BUT, DON’T FORGET TO SAVE MONEY FOR EMERGENCY

Don’t forget to save money. Take priorities what to buy and what to skip. Whenever you want to buy clothes think is this necessary, or you just want it. Think twice. Most of the time it’s just an impulse. You don’t need that many clothes. You won’t fit into those clothes anyway after you have your first kid. Your body won’t stay the same. Save your money toward something else instead.

7. MAKE MONTHLY BUDGET

Good job for using a budget spreadsheet when you just started work. You will get layoff after a few years working and you use your saving wisely without getting broke. You will use this more often when you have a family. It’s important to have a monthly budget and stick with it.

8. BUY CHEAP FURNITURE AND KEEP MINIMALIST

Good job for not buying a new expensive furniture when you started a job! You will move to a different state that it won’t matter anymore. You will end up selling your furniture and gain profit since you buy your furniture cheap from garage sales. Invest in a quality furniture when you have a house, not when you live in an apartment.

9. GET A ROOMMATE

I know you love privacy so much, but you will save a lot of money if you get a roommate or share a house with few roommates. You don’t need that much space. Bonus, you won’t get lonely and you will have friends to talk to when you get off work.

10. KEEP YOUR FACEBOOK ACCOUNT

At some point in life, you want to inactivate your Facebook account. Don’t! You will lose connection with all your old friends. Even your family use Facebook a lot.

11. SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH YOUR SISTERS

Hangout with your sisters more than your friends. Sisters always have your back more than friends.

12. COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR PARENTS

I know you are enjoying your independent life or you don’t want to make your parents worried about you. Talk to them. They probably need to have someone to talk with. It’s hard on them when all of their children live so far away from them. They love you genuinely. Time to treat them they raised you well.

13. TRAVEL TO ANYWHERE

When you are in the twenties, it’s the best time to travel anywhere. When your energy and metabolism is high, you can go to a lot of new places and try a different kind of food. Get adventure. When you are old, you know places that you’ll like to go with your family.

14. TAKE MISSION TRIP

Get active in your church. Take a mission trip with your church. You will gain a lot of knowledge while doing volunteer around the world, even to third world countries. You will come home with more gratitude to your life than before the trip. It’s one in lifetime opportunities.

15. INVEST IN YOURSELF

Invest in yourself and take some lessons like photography, cooking, make-up, calligraphy, and so on. Use your time toward building your skillset. Find a hobby.

16. LEARN HOW TO COOK

I know when you are single, you lie to go out and hang out with your friends. You can still do that, but not every weekend from Friday to Sunday. Use your time to learn how to cook. If you have no clue how to start, watch youtube or take cooking lessons. You will live a healthier life, not to mention you will save some money.

17. READ BOOKS

When I said books, not that fictional books. You know what I mean. That books that you read all over again and again. Read books that can improve your personal growth. Make its habits. Keep learning even when you are out of college.

18. DON’T BE WORKAHOLIC

I know you. You love to work. I know you sometimes already make 40 hours of working when it was only Wednesday, and yet you still working during the weekend. I know you love to work but don’t work too much. The family is number one. You can lose your job, but you cannot afford to lose your family. They always are there for you when you fall down.

19. DON’T DATE A WRONG PERSON

When you live by yourself, you may get lonely sometimes. But, don’t date a wrong person. You can have many friends instead.

20. LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP DOESN’T ALWAYS WORK

After putting so much time and energy to keep a long-distance relationship, it will end. You will grow into yourself and they will not know you anymore while being apart. Don’t waste your time and don’t hurt yourself. Deep down you already know it won’t work. Save yourself from a broken heart.

21. BE YOURSELF

Don’t worry what other people look at you. Be your own self. You are who you are. Living by yourself is a time for you to know yourself better. If you cannot love yourself, how can you love somebody else?

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2 Replies to “20+ THINGS I WISH TO TELL 20-YEAR-OLD YOUNGER SELF”

Invest in your eternal life. Always draw closer to God, no matter how old you are. Learn more about your Catholic Faith.
I know you are a planner like me. But no one knows if they will live another day. Ask yourself this question every day, “If I die tomorrow, how would I live my life differently today?”